Quattrocchi's accounts: SC hearing on Monday

The SC decided to hear the petition challenging Government's stand before the British authorities on Quattrocchi.

indiaUpdated: Jan 14, 2006 19:36 IST

Press Trust of India None

The Supreme Court on Saturday decided to hear the petition challenging Government's stand before the British authorities on the bank accounts of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi on Monday.

Armed with media reports that Quattrocchi's accounts may be defrozen in United Kingdom in a day or two, advocate Ajay Agarwal succeeded in getting the petition listed before the bench headed by Chief Justice YK Sabharwal on Monday.

On Friday, a bench headed by the CJI had refused to grant early hearing on the matter.

The lawyer on Saturday approached the Joint Registrar stating that the matter needed to be heard urgently because if the accounts would be defreezed and the amount released to Quattrocchi, the petition will become infructous and Rs 26 crore would be lost to the public exchequer.

"In view of the sensitivity of the matter involving large amount of public money alleged to be given as commission/bribe to the middleman, the apex court's immediate indulgence was required so that accounts of Quattrocchi are not defreezed...," the lawyer said in an affidavit.

The petition filed by Agarwal has quoted Law Minister HR Bhardwaj saying that CBI has no evidence against the Italian businessman and "therefore the law officer (Additional Solicitor General B Dutta) was sent to London with a request for defreezing of accounts".